Jeri Becker will be paroled, after all. She's served 23 years on a murder conviction. Last year the parole board granted her parole, but Gray Davis reversed it one month before he left office. The board has again granted Ms. Becker parole, and Gov. Arnie will not reverse it.

Schwarzenegger's role in Becker's release signals a momentous shift from the prior administration of Gov. Gray Davis who was widely lambasted for second-guessing his own appointees on the parole board by routinely overturning parole decisions.

In Becker's case, the state Board of Prison Terms granted her parole last year; Davis reversed that decision last October -- a month before his re- election. The board granted her parole again on July 30. On Monday, Schwarzenegger issued a statement declining to review the decision. Out of 18 cases to date, Schwarzenegger has approved or taken no action in six cases. He has reversed parole in all the other cases except one, which he sent back to the board for additional review.

Of the 267 inmates convicted of murder who were granted parole during Davis' term in office, he released only eight including three women who said they killed their victims after years of abuse.